Swimming device.



O. BERGE.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 20,1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

THE COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPN c0.. WASHINGTON. u. c.

0. BERGE- SWHVIMING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man 0m. 20. 1915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

\ W ese OLAV IBEBGE, OF GARY, INDIANA.

SWIMMING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2t, 1916..

Application filed October 20, 1915. Serial No. 56,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLAv Bnnen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gary, in the county of Lake and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Swimming Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The swimming device to which my inven tion relates is designed primarily for foot attachment and is intended to improve the swimming of a person by providing an arrangement whereby movements of the feet when swinnning are rendered more clfectlve.

I am aware that attempts have been made to-provide hinged fins, paddles or i ings for foot attachment, but, so far as I am informed, these devices in the past have been subject to the disadvantage that the swimming device interfered and causedtrouble when walking on the ground. [is will herelnaftcr appear, my construction overcomes this disadvantage and is so arranged that mterference with the normal walking action of the foot when placed upon the ground is largely prevented, if not entirely overcome.

Another adimntagc of my construction is that the device is of. comparatively small size and responds very quickly to the action of the foot in swimming, while at the same time providing sutlicient surface to be opposed to the water when executing rearward movements of the foot in swimming. The construction is such that it can be readily removed from the foot, if found desirable. It may, if desired, be applied to an ordinary swimming shoe in a comparatlvely simple manner, and, when so applied, the main element of the device may be removed without r moving the shoe, thereby retaining the use of the swimming shoe even if the swimming device be detached. The construction is also such that the device may be manufactured comparatively cheaply, while at the same time being rugged and substantial enough to undergo extremely rough usage, and is withal comparatively neat and graceful in its outward appearance.

Briefly, the device in its approved form comprises a pair of comparatively narrow fins or paddles extending longitudinally along each side of and slightly higher than the foot, the outer or upper sides of said fins being pivoted to a support attached to the foot in such manner that when the foot is being pulled upwardly through the water,

i the fins occupy a position substantially parallel to each other and offer comparatively no resistance to the movement of the foot through the water, while in executing the kick or rear movement of the foot through the water, the fins swing out and occupy a position substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of the foot through the water, thereby providing a large resist ing surface by means of which the body may be pushed rapidly through the water.

In making my improvements, I found that in order to secure enough pushing surface, I was compelled to make the paddle or fin surface associated with each foot of comparatively great area, and in attempting to secure wide area with a single keel or fin, I found that the fin did not respond quickly enough to the rear movement of the foot and would not open out and assume its proper angular position before the foot had performed a comparatively large part of its movement, the efficiency of the device hence being much reduced. I also discovered that with a single fin, here v: s a tendency for the fin when opening out to pull the foot sidewise or other wise to cause an improper swimming action. My construction, in which the fins are oppositely disposed on each side of the foot, successfully overcomes these objections.

My invention as to its details of construction and mode of operation will be readily understood by the following description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the device shown attached to an ordinary swimming shoe, the wings or fins being in collapsed 01' approximately vertical position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the wings or fins in their active or resistant position; Fig. lis a section taken on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig.6 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 3.

On referring to the drawings, it will be observed that to the under side of the sole of an ordinary swimming shoe 10 I secure a pair of sockets0ne 11 across the ball of the foot, and one 12 across the heel. The shape of the socket 11 is shown in Fig. 5, inspection of which discloses that the socket 11 comprises a hollow channel piece semi-circular in shape and provided with a circular channel 13 and side fianges14 throughwhich pass rivets 15 for securing the socket to the sole 16 of the shoe. The rear socket 12 is somewhat similar to the socket 11 and is furnished with similar rivets 17 which pass through similar flanges 18 for securing the socket to theshoe;'but the channel 19, instead of being circular, is rectangular in shape, as clearly indicated in Fig. 6. a

The channels 13 and 19 extend from end to end of the sockets 11 and 12, and, in conjunction with the sole of'the foot, provide pockets or transversely disposed apertures for the reception of the lower ends 20 and 21 of the pairs of brackets 22 and 23. Said brackets 22 and .23 are precisely alike, with the exception of the ends 20 and 21, which are bent at right angles to enter and fit closely within the channels 13 and 19 of the sockets. The ends 21 of the rear brackets 23 are made rectangular in order to. prevent relative angular movement of the brackets clearly in Fig. 4. The upper ends of the a which are hung the fins 25 and 26. fins are pivotally connected to the parts 24 brackets are "bent substantially at right angles, as shown in Fig. 4, in order to provide outwardly extending supports 24 from Said by means of screw eyes 27 which cooperate with small eye-bolts 28 riveted or screwed into said parts 24. The fins 25 and 26 are prevented from swinging outwardly beyond a right angle position by engaging the ends 29 of said parts 24. The fins 25 and 26 may be applied to; the shoe when the latter is on or off, and are attached by thrusting the ends 20 and 21 of the brackets 22 and 23 associated with each fin into the sockets 11 and 12, after which they are secured in position by means of the strings 30 and 31 attached to the sides of the shoe, and which may be either tied over the outside of the central portions of the brackets or may pass through holes in the sides thereof. It will be readily observed that such an arrangement permits the wearer totake 01f the swimming device at any time without being compelled to remove his shoes.

In order to prevent clattering or rattling of the fins against the outside of the brackets, either when swimming or when walking on the beachout of the water, I prefer toapply to the outer sides of said brackets small buttons 32, made of felt orrubber, and secured by small rivets 33. Said buttons also cause the wings to tip or tilt slightly so that The wings may be made of thin wood or other material which, if very thin, may be stifiened or reinforced 1n any suitable manner.

The operation of the device is obvious in View of the above description. When swimming, the up-stroke of the foot causes the fins to assume the collapsed position shown in Fig. 1, thereby offering comparatively no resistance to the movement of the foot 5 through the water; but as soon as the backstroke of the foot is commenced, the wings promptly separate at their lower ends and fly out into the position shown in Fig. 3, offering a comparatively large surface for the foot to push against and so force the body through the water at high speed.

When the bather is walking either in shallow water or on the beach, the toe or ball of the foot is permitted to execute its ordinary 3 bending or rolling movement by means of the circular ends 20 of the brackets 22 cooperating pivotally with the circular cavities in the socket 11. Hence, the shoe. retains its flexibility and allows the bather to walk I.

with the customary freedom, without interference from the swimming devices.

The details of the preferred embodiment shown may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention,

which is not limited, except as specified in the appended claims.

I claim 1. In a swimming device, comprising a sole member, a socket secured to said sole member, a pair of arms detachably pivoted in said sockets projecting upwardly at the sides of the foot, a pair of fins pivoted to the upper ends of said arms, and stops on said arms for limiting the upward movement of said fins.

2. A swimming device, comprising a shoe to be worn by the swimmer, in combination with a pair of symmetrically disposed pivoted fins for presenting resistant surface to the water upon a backward movement of the foot, and means for detachably securing said fins to the shoe and pivoted at a greater distance above the ground than the width of A the fins.

3. A swimming device, comprising a pair of fins, and means for pivotally supporting said fins arranged at either side of and above the sole of the foot at a distance greater than the width of a fin and arranged so that pivotal connections for said fin at the front and rear of the foot, and supports for said pivotal connections extending upwardly from the sole of the foot, one of said sup ports having pivotal engagement with the foot whereby walking on the ground is facilitated.

5. A foot device for improving natation, comprising, in combination, a sole, a pair of sockets secured respectively to the front and rear of said sole, arms projecting upwardly from said sockets and at the side of the foot, and a fin pivoted on said arms, one of said arms having rigid engagement with its socket and the other arm having pivotal engagement with its socket.

6. In a foot device for improving natation, which consists in a sole member for attachment to the foot, sockets secured to said sole member at the rear and front of said sole, re spectively, a pair of arms pivoted in said front sockets and projecting upwardly at the sides of the foot, a pair of arms rigidly secured in the socket at the rear end of the foot and projecting upwardly at the sides of the rear end of the foot, and a pair of fins having their inner or upper ends pivoted to the upper ends of said arms, the axes of the pivotal movement of said fins being substantially parallel with each other and with the center line of the sole member, said arms being provided with means for limiting the pivotal movement of said fins in an upward direction whereby said fins are maintained substantially in the same plane when expanded.

7. In a foot device for improving natation, which consists in a sole member for attachment to the foot, sockets secured to said sole member at the rear and front of said sole, respectively, a pair of arms detachably pivoted in said front sockets and projecting upwardly at the sides of the foot, a pair of arms rigidly secured in the socket at the rear end of the foot and projecting upwardly at the sides of the rear end of the foot, and a pair of fins having their inner or upper ends pivoted to the upper ends of said arms, said arms being provided with means for limiting the pivotal movement of said fins in an upward direction whereby said fins are maintained substantially in the same plane when expanded.

OLAV BERGE.

(topics of this patent may be attained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. U. 

